Building Evacuations and Fire Drills

Fire drills help building occupants prepare to respond to a variety of building emergencies. Fire codes require regularly scheduled drills in most large buildings at least annually.

EH&S is responsible for scheduling fire drills for the UW Seattle campus and major research stations, and we can assist at other locations. Drills help building occupants prepare to respond to a variety of building emergencies. Fire codes require regularly scheduled drills in most large buildings at least annually.

If you have a preference for the time of year for your building’s fire drill, please contact EH&S so that we may add it to our planning schedule.

Emergency preparedness

Occupants should be prepared for a number of anticipated building emergencies some of which will require immediate or delayed evacuation. For more information see the Building Emergency Procedures and Resources page.

Evacuation drills

Drills are generally unannounced so they are realistic and educational. EH&S will usually schedule fire drills for the Seattle campus about three weeks in advance by coordinating with the building coordinator, evacuation director and key administrators so that a date and time may be identified for the drill that avoids unnecessary disruption to operations. For research buildings, advance notification may be extended to a key person for each lab so that the drill does not create a safety hazard or disrupt critical and expensive lab operations. However, other personnel should not be informed.

Scheduling

Except for University housing, drills are scheduled during normal business hours, usually between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

For drills scheduled on the Seattle campus, contact Adrian Santos at adrians5@uw.edu or 206.221.7398.

Drill reports

Evacuation directors are responsible for critiquing their drill with support from EH&S. Observations about the drill should be shared with evacuation wardens and key personnel to improve future response and performance. The evacuation director should complete a Fire Drill Report form.

Unintentional alarms, such as malicious activation of fire alarm pull stations or burned food setting off smoke detectors, do not count towards the required scheduled drills.

Evacuation route maps

Most buildings are provided with Evacuation Route Maps located in a conspicuous location in a public hallway. The maps help indicated the location of exits and evacuation assembly points. EH&S develops and maintains these maps for the UW Seattle campus. For assistance call Diana Zumba cochrd@uw.edu or 206.616.5530.

Assembly points

A number of outdoor assembly points have been identified for the campus. A specific assembly point should be designated for your building as indicated on the evacuation route map posted in your building and in your Fire Safety Evacuation Plan.

Evacuation Directors and Wardens

Training resources for evacuation directors and wardens are listed in the Training section of this page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Your Fire Safety Evacuation Plan (FSEP) should provide information on how to alert building occupants of an emergency. Contact your evacuation director or building coordinator and request a copy of your plan.